Act of Faith (2012, Mitch Jenkins)

Act of Faith feels a little like a one act play. Alan Moore’s script does whatever it can to make the short feel contained to the protagonist’s apartment–expository phone calls overheard, an answering machine in the age of cellphones. In some ways director Jenkins’s lack of exteriors is impressive. His composition, Gary Shaw’s photography and Jamie Trevill’s editing are all excellent.

Too bad Faith is just dumb. I neglected to mention that problem above. It’s a dumb one act play. Moore’s script, when he’s writing dialogue, isn’t bad. But there’s not much dialogue in it. Jenkins just follows the protagonist–Siobhan Hewlett–around the apartment as she gets home for work and gets ready for her evening. It’s not voyeuristic, but still manages to be exploitative. Even if Shaw’s lighting is pretty.

Then Faith reveals its plot and it becomes painfully predictable.

Technical successes aside, Faith is a failure.

Not Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Mitch Jenkins; written by Alan Moore; director of photography, Gary Shaw; edited by Jamie Trevill; music by Andrew Broder; produced by Pete Coogan.